"Slowhand: 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" by ERIC CLAPTON (2012 Polydor 2CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

“...Mean Old Frisco And Low Down Santa Fay...”

Along with 1974's "461 Ocean Boulevard" – Eric Clapton's hugely popular and commercially successful "Slowhand" album from 1977 was always going to be the subject of a 2CD DELUXE EDITION set at some point in time. And chock full of crowd-pleasers like "Wonderful Tonight", "Lay Down Sally" and J.J. Cale's "Cocaine" that Eric plays in concert to this day (some 40 years later) - it's surprising Universal took so bloody long in releasing it. Yet you have to say – it's absolutely been worth the wait - with a 2nd disc that is both thrilling and a reminder of just how good old EC was/is in the 'live' arena. Here are the Diesel and Peaches...

UK and USA released December 2012 – "Slowhand: 35th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" by ERIC CLAPTON is a 2CD Reissue/Remaster on Polydor 0600753407202 (Barcode 600753407202) and breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (53:22 minutes):

1. Cocaine

2. Wonderful Tonight

3. Lay Down Sally

4. Next Time You See Her

5. We're All The Way

6. The Core [Side 2]

7. May You Never

8. Mean Old Frisco

9. Peaches And Diesel

BONUS TRACKS:

10. Looking At The Rain – a Gordon Lightfoot cover version, recorded 6 May 1977 - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

11. Alberta – a cover version variant of the Blues song "Alberta" by Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter – Clapton's version is more akin to "Alberta Blues" by The Mississippi Sheiks. Recorded 4 May 1977 – it was first issued on the 1999 Eric Clapton compilation "Blues" as an outtake from "Slowhand"

12. Greyhound Bus – an Eric Clapton song recorded 20 May 1977 - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

13. Stars, Strays And Ashtrays – an Eric Clapton song recorded May 1977 - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Disc 2 – Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London, 27 April 1977 (74:42 minutes):

1. Tell The Truth (Live) – an Eric Clapton and Bobby Whitlock Song originally on the 1970 "Layla" 2LP set by Derek & The Dominoes

2. Knocking On Heaven's Door (Live) – a Bob Dylan cover

3. Steady Rolling Man (Live) - originally on "461 Ocean Boulevard"

4. Can't Find My Way Home (Live) – a Blind Faith song written by Steve Winwood – sung here by Yvonne Elliman only

5. Further On Up The Road (Live) – a Bobby "Blue" Bland cover version (written by Joe Veasey)

6. Stormy Monday (Live) – a T-Bone Walker cover version

7. Badge (Live) – a Cream cover written by Eric Clapton and George Harrison

8. I Shot The Sheriff (Live) – a Bob Marley & The Wailers cover version

9. Layla (Live) – a Derek & The Dominoes song

THE MUSICIANS:

Lead Guitar & Vocals – ERIC CLAPTON

Guitar – GEORGE TERRY

Keyboards – DICK SIMS

Duet Lead Vocals – YVONNE ELLIMAN

Duet Lead Vocals, Harmonica and Guitar – MARCY LEVY

Bass – CARL RADLE

Percussion – SERGIO PASTORA

Drums and Percussion – JAMIE OLDAKER

Tracks 3, 4, 7 8 and 9 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Tracks 1, 2 and 6 first appeared in 1996 on the 4CD Polydor/Chronicles Book Set “Crossroads 2 (Live In The Seventies)”

BILL LEVENSON produced the compilation that features 16-page liner notes by noted writer DAVID HEPWORTH (assisted by Richard Havers) with the tape research, transfers and remastering handled by ANDY SKUROW, KEVIN REEVES and SETH FOSTER at Sterling Sound. The booklet is a very functional affair – a few photos and paragraphs on Clapton’s career and the huge impact tunes like J.J. Cale's "Cocaine", the love song and perennial compilation filler "Wonderful Tonight" and the poppy "Lay Down Sally" had on his radio popularity. The inner flaps of the card digipak have the inner sleeve collage photos of the LP – it's good but hardly great.

The remasters are fantastic – warm, clear and not over trebled for the sake of it. The big riff of "Cocaine" hits you with a wallop – immediately followed by the "...it's late in the evening...she's wondering what clothes to wear..." smooch of “Wonderful Tonight” which despite being overplayed still has the power to make the old soft machine feel a little more mushy. I must admit I never much cared for the throwaway pop of "Lay Down Sally" then and it remains that way now – but I've always loved the jaunt of Don Williams' "We're All The Way" – a genius choice cover version which Clapton makes his own through arrangements. The big rock track of the album "The Core" was co-written with Marcy Levy (as was "Lay Down Sally") and features Yvonne Elliman on Duet Vocals. It dominates Side 2 for nearly nine minutes and yet doesn’t overstay its welcome made interesting with crafty chord changes and that bounce-off vocal. I dare say Scotland’s John Martyn put a few kids through college on the royalties from “May You Never” – a beautiful ballad from his 1973 classic "Solid Air" on Island Records. Clapton keeps the simple melody but again makes it feel like it was an EC song all along. We then get the album’s only Blues outing – a cover of Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "Mean Old Frisco" – that EC arranges into an irresistible combo of Electric Slide Guitar alongside high string Dobro fills and a muscle doubled-vocal. It's a winner. The album ends on "Peaches And Diesel" – an instrumental I always felt is lightweight re-run of “Wonderful Tonight” but not in a good way (the remaster of it though is gorgeous). I'd have to say that the Bonus Tracks on Disc 1 are largely disappointing and it's pretty obvious why his dreadful "Stars, Strays And Ashtrays" stayed in the can (his vocal is awful and he sounds stoned). Better is the pretty cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "Looking At The Rain" – a nice outtake – as is the washboard harmonica drive of "Greyhound Bus" (sweet duet vocals with Elliman). The Bluesy and acoustic "Alberta" – which first turned up on the 1999 "Blues" Box Set – is the best of the bunch (great audio and vocals too). But all that pales into the distance when you get to the shock of Disc 2...

Although live inclusions are seen by fans as convenient filler in these DE's - the 'Live' Disc here from April 1977 in England's Hammersmith Odeon is a sensation – making mincemeat of the four insipid outtakes that end Disc 1. The band (the same line-up he had on the album minus Saxophonist Mel Collins) is on fire and each version of each song is infused with energy and playing that is amazing ("Further On Up The Road" rocks like a mother and receives a warm audience response). If this had been released as a definitive 2LP set in the late Seventies – it would stand up as a winner to this day. A major bummer is that there's amp feedback prevalent throughout the 13-minute Blues of "Stormy Monday" which really detracts (especially in the solos) - but it's still a great purist performance. Better is "Badge" which gets slightly funked up and elicits crowd handclapping and cheers. Running to 14 minutes - the Reggae-Funk-Rock of Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" sees the band cooking on all fronts – the vocals, rhythms, drum solos and guitars – it's wickedly good. Disc 2 ends (as it had to do) on the crowd-pleaser "Layla" where the guitars rock out. Apart from that terrible feedback problem on "Stormy Monday" – it's a cool addition and actually worth of the moniker 'Bonus'.

Even though the booklet could have done with some serious beefing up (photos, memorabilia, interviews) – the great remaster and that live bonus material make this a DE winner. I'd love to see the underrated "Backless" from 1978 receive the same treatment - and for that matter the equally underrated and forgotten "Another Ticket" from 1981. Once more unto the tape vaults Mister Levenson...

"The Singles Volume 10: 1975-1979" by JAMES BROWN featuring The JB's and Martha High (2011 US Hip-O Select 2CD Anthology - Seth Foster Remasters) - No. 10 in a Series of 11 - A Review by Mark Barry

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"…Get Up Offa That Thing…And Dance 'Til You Feel Better…"

I've been diligently collecting this series of 2CD sets since they started in 2006, and this 10th installment is the fifth twofer to cover his extraordinary Seventies output (Volumes 6, 7, 8 and 9 are the others and feature 1970 to 1975).

Volume 9 had a feeling of JB winding down in terms of quality – treading water a lot of the time, and despite Volume 10 feeling somewhat the same, there is still greatness to be heard on this latest edition. Details first...

All tracks are credited to JAMES BROWN except where noted and the pairing of numbers below are the A & B-sides of US 7" singles. 

Released 11 February 2011 on Hip-O’s own website in the USA (British released Monday 28 March 2011) - "The Singles Volume 10: 1975-1979" by JAMES BROWN on Hip-O Select/Polydor B0015279-02 (Barcode 602527622408) is a 2CD set of Remasters and breaks down as follows…(all catalogue numbers are US 7” singles unless otherwise noted):

Disc 1 (77:23 minutes):

1. Superbad, Superslick Part I

2. Superbad, Superslick Part II

Tracks 1 and 2 are Polydor PD 14295, released September 1975 (for 2, see also Track 5)

3. Dooley’s Junkyard Dogs      

4. Dooley’s Junkyard Dogs - Short Version

Tracks 3 and 4 first appeared as a Promo 7” single in November 1975 on Polydor PRO-005, then was issued as a Stock Copy in January 1976 on Polydor PD 14303

5. Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)

Tracks 5 (and 2 above) are the A&B sides of Polydor PD 14301, released December 1975

6. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons

7. Goodnight My Love

Tracks 6 and 7 are Polydor PD 14304, released March 1976

8. Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time – Part 1

9. Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time – Part 2

Tracks 8 and 9 are People PE 664, released May 196 [credited to THE J.B.’S with JAMES BROWN]

10. Get Up Offa That Thing

11. Release The Pressure

Tracks 10 and 11 are Polydor PD 14326, released June 1976

12. I Refuse To Lose        

13. Home Again

Tracks 12 and 13 are Polydor PD 14354, released August 1976

14. Bodyheat (Part 1)

15. Bodyheat (Part 2)

Tracks 14 and 15 are Polydor PD 14360, released December 1976

16. Kiss In 77

17. Woman

Tracks 16 and 17 are Polydor PD 14388, released April 1977

Disc 2 (75:36 minutes):

1. Give Me Some Skin

2. People Wake Up And Live

Tracks 1 and 2 are Polydor PD 14409, released July 1977 [credited to JAMES BROWN AND THE J.B.’S]

3. Summertime

4. Take Me Higher And Groove Me

Tracks 3 and 4 are Polydor PD 14433, released November 1977 [A-side credited to MARTHA and JAMES (Duet Vocal With Martha High)]

5. If You Don’t Give A Dogone About It

6. People Who Criticize

Tracks 5 and 6 are Polydor PD 14438, released January 1978 [credited to JAMES BROWN and The New J.B.’s]

7. Love Me Tender

8. Have A Happy Day

Tracks 7 and 8 are Polydor PD 14460, released March 1978 [credited to JAMES BROWN and The New J.B.’s] (Track 7 was used again — as a B-side to track 11)

9. Eyesight

10. I Never, Never, Never Will Forget

Tracks 9 and 10 are Polydor PD 14465, released April 1978

11. The Spank

Track 11 (and Track 7) are Polydor PD 14487, released July 1878

12. Nature (Part I)

13. Nature (Part II)

Tracks 12 and 13 are Polydor PD 14512, released September 1978

14. For Goodness Sakes, Look At Those Cakes (Part 1)

15. For Goodness Sakes, Look At Those Cakes (Part 2)

Tracks 14 and 15 are Polydor PD 14522, released October 1978

16. Someone To Talk To (Part I)

17. Someone To Talk To (Part II)

Tracks 16 and 17 are Polydor PD 14540, released December 1978

18. It’s Too Funky In Here

19. Are We Really Dancing

Tracks 18 and 19 are Polydor PD 14557, released May 1979

Like Volumes 8 and 9 (see separate reviews), the 28-page booklet by noted JB expert and former tour manager ALAN LEEDS and is a joy to look at — a hugely informative read that's packed to the gills with track histories, concert posters, trade adverts, magazine covers and a thoroughly detailed recording Sessionography. The inlay beneath the see-through CD tray has an advert for a concert at the Miami Baseball Stadium with a string of guests including B.B. King - it's exceptionally well done...

And again (as in previous issues) SETH FOSTER has expertly handled the first-generation master tapes for the single mixes - he's done a truly superlative job — warm, clear and fabulously alive. There is hiss on some cuts like "Summertime" - but mostly the music jumps out of the speakers at you — gorgeous sound. The word "Limited Edition" is embossed in gold lettering on the rear inlay (it doesn’t give numbers, but presumably it's a worldwide limited edition of 5000 copies like its predecessor).

Disc 1 opens strongly with 2 great driving-funky singles — “Superbad, Superslick” and “Dooley’s Junkyard Dogs” (I think the shortened B-side is better than the longer An on Dooley’s). The sample of David Bowie’s “Fame” provides the backbeat for “Hot [I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved)” where James steals back a little of what everyone stole from him. Unfortunately there follows a cringingly bad disco version of the Nat King Cole 1946 standard “[I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” with an equally cruddy version of the Jesse Belvin 1956 hit “Goodnight My Love” on the flip. Things improve on “Everybody Wanna Get Funky…” even if the false crowd start irritates a bit – it’s good – but what comes next is another league altogether. “Get Up Offa That Thing…And Dance ‘Til You Feel Better…” was shouted by JB at a lack-lustre audience and he had a hit in his brain. Done with a new band and fresh enthusiasm, they got it down in one take – and it funks like a mother. 

It’s followed by another double-winner – the fast and funky jam “I Refuse To Lose” and its bluesy B-side “Home Again” (great stuff and both sounding spectacularly clear). “Bodyheat” is superb funk too - fully deserving its Number 13 position on the USA R&B charts. “Kiss In 77” is JB in Teddy Pendergrass loverman territory and it only half works, but its B-side “Woman” is far better – stylistically harking back to his 1966 King Records classic “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”.

Disc 2 has its dogs as well – his terrible cover of Presley’s “Love Me Tender” no matter how heartfelt it was smacks of opportunism almost a full year after Elvis’ death, while the cloying “Someone To Talk” is sappy pap. His duet with Martha High on the Gershwin cover of “Summertime” is actually quite good, but when we get to tracks like “Eyesight” and “Nature”, Brown just sounds out of time – and worse – he even sounds naff. It ends on a good note though – “It’s Too Funky In Here”.

To sum up – Volume 10 is similar to Volume 9 – the good and great vying with precisely the opposite (Volumes 7 and 8 are much better). But if you really want to know why he got the title "The Godfather of Soul" in the first place - and especially why funk fans dig him so much - then buy this superbly featured reissue and concentrate only on the good stuff.

By the end of the Seventies, James Brown wasn’t troubling the national charts too much, but there’s enough on here to convince that JB truly was a genius. When all others had fallen by the wayside, he was still capable of producing the goods…

"Give Me Strength: The ’74/’75 Studio Recordings" by ERIC CLAPTON (2013 Universal 2CD 'DELUXE EDITION' Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

                                                   (2CD Deluxe Edition)

                                (Super Deluxe Version - Note Different Artwork)

"...Where Would Love Be Without Fools Like Me?"

EC fans will have seen "461 Ocean Boulevard" re-issued just one too many times in the last 8 years on a plethora of formats - and here it comes again. But this time I'd argue you should sit up and take notice because this vaults trawl is a superb reissue - and in a festive season of over-priced and dubious Deluxe Editions - a star in a reasonably price car.

Firstly - there are two versions of this "Give Me Strength..." CD release. 

This 2CD DELUXE EDITION by ERIC CLAPTON is called "Give Me Strength: The '74/'75 Studio Recordings" - while a 5CD/1DVD SUPER DELUXE EDITION Book Set drops the word Studio in its title because it includes lots of live stuff (the "EC Was Here" album and more). Both were released Monday 9 December 2013. 

This review is for the 2CD edition on Universal/Polydor 0602537618583 (Barcode is the same number) and it breaks down as follows...

Disc 1 "461 Ocean Boulevard Expanded Version" (79:31 minutes):

1. Motherless Children

2. Give Me Strength

3. Willie And The Hand Jive

4. Get Ready

5. I Shot The Sheriff

6. I Can’t Hold Out

7. Please Be With Me

8. Let It Grow

9. Steady Rollin’ Man

10. Mainline Florida

Tracks 1 to 10 are the vinyl album "461 Ocean Boulevard" issued July 1974 in the UK on RSO Records 2479 118 and SO 4801 in the USA.

Tracks 11 to 18 are Session Out-Takes:

"Ain't That Lovin' You" (11) was first issued on the 4CD/6LP "Crossroads" box set in April 1988

"Meet Me (Down At The Bottom)" (12) and "Eric After Hour Blues" (16) were first issued on the "Blues" 2CD set in July 1999

"Lonesome Road Blues (Walking Down The Road)" (13) was first issued on the 4CD box set "Crossroads 2" in April 1996

"Getting Acquainted" (14), "Getting Acquainted 2 (Too Late)" (15), "Please Be With Me (Acoustic)" 17) and "Give Me Strength (Dobro 1)" (18) are all PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

Disc 2 "There's One In Every Crowd Expanded Version" (71:04 minutes):

1. We’ve Been Told (Jesus Is Coming Soon)

2. Swing Low Sweet Chariot

3. Little Rachel

4. Don’t Blame Me

5. The Sky Is Crying

6. Singin’ The Blues

7. Better Make It Through Today

8. Pretty Blue Eyes

9. High

10. Opposites

Tracks 1 to 10 are the vinyl album "There's One In Every Crowd" issued April 1975 in the UK on RSO Records 2479 132 and SO 4806 in the USA.

Tracks 11 to 17 are Session Out-Takes:

"Burial" (11) and "Fool Like Me" (15 are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

"Whatcha Gonna Do" (12), "I Found A Love" (13) and "(When Things Go Wrong) It Hurts Me Too" (14) first appeared on the 4CD/6LP box set "Crossroads" in April 1988

"Knockin' On Heaven's Door" (16) and "Someone Like You" (17) are a non-album 7" single issued August 1975 in the UK on RSO Records 2090 166 and in the USA on RSO Records SO-513.

Compiled by BILL LEVENSON - the 24-page booklet has in-depth liner notes by JOHN LYNSKEY on both albums and is filled with the kind of facts fans love. They do at times refer to tracks that are clearly on the 6-disc version (especially out-takes), but that's only a minor irritation. The annotation at the rear is also admirably laid out.

ELIOT KISSELEFF and ANDREW SKUROW handled the Tape Research and Transfers while SETH FOSTER and KEVIN REEVES (names that have graced hundreds of Universal reissues) did the Remasters and Mix Engineering. Both Foster and Reeves handled the sonically praised "Slowhand" Deluxe Edition issued in 2012. The sound here is fabulous - it really is. Never too showy - loads of presence - especially in the rhythm section of Bass and Drums with Tom Dowd's original production values now more evident than before. On tracks like the Traditional "We've Been Told (Jesus Is Coming Home)" and the lovely vocal break on the infectious "Pretty Blue Eyes" - the audio is so warm and there - just like you'd want it to be. I'd also forgotten how good most of "There's One In Every Crowd" was - excepting the terrible cod-reggae of "Don't Blame Me" - nuggets like the blues cover of Mary McCreary's "Singin' The Blues" and Clapton's own "Better Make It Through Today" are superlative (especially the gorgeously soulful keyboard work by Dick Sims when it meets with Clapton's plaintive solo).

I've had the Deluxe Edition and 2004 SACD of "461 Ocean Boulevard" and the remaster here is subtly different. I'd have to say the SACD has the edge in terms of sheer power - but when I play the Elmore James opener of Side 2 "I Can't Hold Out" - I'd swear the mix here is more upfront (which is what I want). The cover versions of Cowboy’s obscure (but lovely) “Please Be With Me”, Johnny Otis’s classic “Willie And The Hand Jive” and Robert Johnson’s “Steady Rollin’ Man” all Rock as does George Terry’s fabulous album-finisher “Mainline Florida”. And of course Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff” has renewed presence.

The outtakes (as fans have known since the "Crossroads" release in 1988) are amazingly good - and in some cases - should have been on the album. The 6 previously unreleased on here are certainly not scraping the bottom of the barrel. "Getting Acquainted" are funky rock workout instrumentals with the second being shorter but so much better and tighter (and features some superb fretwork from EC). Rougher round the recording edges is a truly lovely acoustic take of "Please Be With Me" minus Yvonne Elliman's duet vocals - very sweet indeed. The Dobro jaunt through "Give Me Strength" again has that same kind of intimacy but this time with wicked slide work. I could live without the cover of Peter Tosh's "Burial" quite easily but the rocking blues of "Fools Like Me" is just the kind of out-takes fans love. It was written by Jack Clement and Murphy Maddux and was recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun - it chugs along and features trademark languid slide (lyrics from it title this review).

To sum up - at just over a tenner you're getting two quality Eric Clapton albums with superb sound quality, thorough presentation and out-takes actually worthy of the moniker 'bonus'. I'm seriously tempted now to fork out on the bigger 6-disc issue.

Never the flashiest of artists - Clapton's classiness nevertheless exudes here - and how good is it to hear him get down and dirty with that mean blues slide...

Top stuff - and for me a clear 'Reissue of the Year' for 2013....